With the official dollar “ironed” and financial markets on the rise, many Argentines see an opportunity to buy technology abroad at a lower price through Amazon, Tiendamia and other stores abroad.
Technology price: where to buy
Santiago García Milan, country manager of Tiendamia Argentina, points out iProUP that sales increased 122% and they will continue to rise.
“What works in its favor is the inflation of local prices. Because what affects Tiendamia prices is not inflation, but devaluation, and the dollar has been flat for several months,” he adds. In fact, the card dollar went from $1,300 in January to $1,480 at the end of June.
Through the platform you can buy products from retailers in the United States such as Amazon, eBay or Macy’sand now it also allows you to bring things from Asian originso they predict an “avalanche” of cheap Chinese products.
Tax official Sebastián Domínguez assures iProUP that purchases abroad through the door-to-door system are ideal for paying with your own dollars.
“Anyway, Electronic products are still expensive in Argentinaso buying abroad can be convenient in many cases,” he adds.
For generic products, which can be found in Chinese e-commerce stores, Tiendamia offers 50% cheaper prices
For his part, Martin Kalos, director of EPyCA Consultores, assures iProUP than later in the abrupt devaluation of almost 118% of the official exchange rate that occurred overnight in December. The largest gap between the card and the MEP was recorded between April and Maywhen the financier was in the order of the $1,000.
“When you have an exchange rate that appreciates, you have more ability to buy cheaper abroad. In particular, this is always very noticeable in technology. These types of fluctuations mean that there are times when the people prefer to shop outsideespecially if the expectation is that the exchange rate will rise again.”
Amazon, Tiendamia or Mercado Libre: where it is cheaper
Below is a list of products available both in Mercado Libre, Tiendamia or Amazon Global. In the first two marketplaces, users can find prices directly in pesos, while in the case of Amazon it was converted to MEP.
4K 1200 ANSI projector with Android 11
- Tiendamia: $111,000
- Amazon: $280,000 (US$215 with shipping included)
- Free market: $300,000
Google Pixel 8 Pro 256 GB blue cell phone 12 GB RAM
- Tiendamia: $1,449,220
- Amazon: 1,535,300 (US$1,180 with shipping)
- Free Market: $1,899,999
Garmin Venu Sq Smartwatch
- Tiendamia: $322,000
- Amazon: 403,000 (US$310 with shipping)
- Free Market: $520,000
Tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 11 128gb Color Dark Gray
- Tiendamia: $472,870
- Amazon: $490,000 (US$453 with shipping)
- Free market: $473,000
It is convenient to purchase brands that operate in the country at Mercado Libre or local e-commerce.
Depending on the model you want, you can save up to more than 50%. The difference is narrowed in products from brands that operate in Argentina.
How to buy abroad with door-to-door delivery?
For now the process remains cumbersome. The system allows you to buy technological products, decorative objects, books, groceries, clothing or toys that do not weigh more than 20 kg, do not cost more than US$3,000 and are for personal use (no comercial).
The process to receive door-to-door merchandise is summarized in the following five steps:
- Register in the Argentine Mail International Shipping Portal
- Make a purchase notice
- When the package arrives in the country a notification is received via email or physically through a telegram
- Complete content declaration and payment management
- The buyer can receive your purchase at home or pick it up at a branch
“The first 12 shipments have a deductible of US$50 each. If the value of the cost of the merchandise, plus insurance, plus freight is equal to or less than US$50, no tax is paid. If it exceeds that value, pays a 50% tax on the surplus of US$50,” explains Domínguez.
The expert adds that, if paid in pesos, the 30% country tax and the perception of profits of 30% are applied. If you pay in dollars, neither the country tax nor the collection is applied. Thus, you can pay with a card for $1,480 or buy MEP dollars to pay the summary for $1,300, with a saving of 15%.
García Milan believes that the traditional system (for example, buying directly from Chinese stores) has a series of disadvantages:
- All the Procedures to receive the order are the responsibility of the buyer
- The delivery times may be longer
- The marketplaces do not show final prices with tariff rates, nor do they calculate how much they will be.
- Allows you to buy products blocked by Argentine Customs: If the user does not realize or is unaware of it and buys, there is a high chance that the merchandise will be retained.
García Milan explains that one of the advantages offered by purchasing through Tiendamia is that they take care of the procedures and payment of taxes in the case of small courier shipments that are marked on the website as “Premium Shipping”.
“Niche” brand products are more convenient to purchase on Amazon Global
However, the entire process Correo Argentino is the responsibility of the buyer (execution and payment)although Tiendamia makes an estimate of how much you will have to pay in Correo Argentino, so that there are no surprises later.
Regarding delivery times, the marketplace offers three modalities:
- Argentine Mail: takes between 18 and 28 business days
- Premium: between 11 and 16 days
- Premium express: between 5 and 11
For its part, Amazon Global takes care of freight and tax costs and home shipping, and does not allow you to purchase items that will be rejected at Customs.
